NEWS AND EVENTS

On this page you will find information about upcoming events, as well as some items from our monthly newsletter. Newsletters are available in our church office. We are making every effort not to pubish individual phone numbers or email addresses on the website. If you would like to receive our newsletter or if you have other questions, call the church office at 781-275-7951 or email us at fchurchb2@verizon.net.

Environmental Health. What does our faith have to say about this? This Fall I attended a training session about a (free) faith-based curriculum on Environmental Health. This is a scripture- and science-based education program developed by the Massachusetts Council of Churches and comes with an excellent lesson guide and tons of resources. I found it interesting to study the connection between church/scripture and environmental concerns. And, like many people, I'm always interested in hearing new ways to reduce my impact on the environment. Starting on January 11th, you'll be invited to participate in activities and discussions about what's happening to God's creation and what faith communities can do. In the meantime, feel free to view the video "Contaminated Without Consent" online at http://www.contaminatedwithoutconsent.org (click on the picture to play the video), or review the curriculum by logging on to http://www.masscouncilofchurches.org/healthychurches.htm.

On January 11th after church, everyone is invited to share lunch in UFH and participate in an open discussion about "Healthy Kids, Healthy Churches, Healthy Communities." Please call the church office to make reservations for lunch so we will know how much food to make.

January 3 Whist
January 4 Mitten Tree
January 6 Nominating Committee
January 11 Lunch and Healthy Kids, Healthy Churches Discussion
January 14 Women's Fellowship
January 23 Chili Challenge and Karaoke
January 28 Kitchen Cleanup Day
February 1 SuperBowl Food Sale
February 20 Habitat Bridge Tournament

The “mitten tree” will be up from January 4th to 25th to collect knitted hats and warm mittens for the Dakota Indians.  More information will be in the next newsletter..

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Come join us at the fourth annual in-house, no-stress, no rehearsal, family-fun Variety Show! On Friday evening, February 27th, at 7:00 pm, we will host a Variety Show featuring the youth and adults of First Church. We are recruiting all type of acts including musical presentations, magic show illusions, poetry readings, dance acts, drama excerpts, science experiments, martial arts demonstrations, gymnastics routines and comedy routines. This show gets better each year. Don’t miss it! Admission is free. Snacks will be served.

Contact Wendy Stacey or Allyson Printz to volunteer your act or for more information.

Habitat's 2nd Annual Fun Bridge Tournament will be held on Friday, February 20th, at First Church. Please put the date in big letters on your calendars !!! Last year, everyone had a grand time and wanted to do it again. As it was a Friday in February we secured the Vestry at the closest time in order to please those who attended last year. If you were one of the helpers last year please expect a phone call from me to see if you can do your thing again this year. We welcome all folks who would like to help in some way and all bridge players to participate. Please call Holly Webster and she will be more than happy to accept your help and/or put you on the list of players. Lets make this an even bigger event than it was last year and raise lots of money for 130 North Road. Progress is being made, yippee !!!

Thanks to all who donated gifts on CMS Sunday.  Our youth helped sort them in Winchester.  The gifts will be distributed to CMS agencies that willhelp over 1600 families this Christmas.

Our Sunday services are broadcast live on Channels 10 (38, 39, and 40 if you have Verizon), Bedford Community Access Television (BCAT). In addition to a live cablecast of our Sunday service at 10:00 a.m., Channel 10 plays the tape of the our service on Wednesday evening at 8:00 p.m. Also check their bulletin board for special services or events. You may also borrow video tapes of our services from our church library. More recent services are now also on DVDs for borrowing.  

DVDs, as well as VHS tapes of our services are now available for you to borrow.

To borrow tapes, go to the church library and take the designated card from the card file, sign your name, the date signed out, and return the card to its place in the file. When returning a video, place the video in the basket provided.

Use the same process for signing out other videos that are currently located in the library.

Our Communications Guidelines were developed in the fall of 2008 and approved by Cabinet in October 2008.

The Women's Fellowship says "Thank you" to all who donated to REACH (formerly the Support Committee for Battered Women).  Contributions will help to provide holiday gifts to over 150 families who have been affected by domestic violence.  This is sponsored by Women’s Fellowship.

Save the date...Saturday, January 3, 2009 for our annual get-together in the Vestry at 6:30 p.m.  Pizza, salad, dessert, and nibbles, of course, followed by an evening of Whist.   Everyone who enjoys the game is welcome!  Remember, each person should bring an unwrapped item for the prize table and $5.00 for the supper.  Consumables are much appreciated (food items, candles, etc.) but just consider what you yourself would like to receive; everyone goes home with a prize. 

Give the Hurds a call if you can attend. Please call by December 31st so we’ll know how much pizza to order.

Mark Your Calendar - Friday, January 23rd “2nd Annual Chili Challenge and Karaoke Event”

It may be cold outside but on Friday, January 23rd, it will be CHILI inside!   Shake away the winter blues…and eat Chili!
Do you love chili?  Are you ready to be entertained?  Then come to the Senior High Youth sponsored Chili Challenge and Karaoke Experience!  Sign up today to help judge the Great Senior High Chili Cook off (prizes will be awarded) and enter to sing in the First Church version of AMERICAN IDOL (prizes will be awarded).   Tickets for chili tasting (includes finger veggies, cornbread and dessert along with chili entrees) are $6.00 per person, $20.00 per family and may be purchased after church during coffee hour on January 4th, 11th, and 18th or in Julie’s office January 5 – 22, 2009. 

All proceeds collected will benefit the Senior High Mission trips.  Sign ups for performing are on Julie’s office door.  

Act Now for Tax Savings

By carefully planning your charitable gifts and completing them by December 31st, you may find you can even further reduce the amount of tax you will owe next April. You may give:· cash (checks)· or appreciated property (securities - individual stocks, bonds, and/or mutual funds and certain other types of property that have increased in value), or depreciated property (sell it and give all or part as a charitable gift, getting a deduction for the cash contribution and creating a loss you may be able to deduct from other taxable income). There are also possibilities in retained income gifts, gifts through wills or living trusts, gifts of retirement plan assets, gifts of life insurance.

If you are interested, please call the church office, and we will connect you with someone from our church officers who can tell you how we handle different processes on the church's end of things.

For the specific guidance on how most effectively to give any gift, you should speak with your attorney or professional financial adviser. (First Church as an institution does not render legal or tax advisory service.)

For many years we have sent copies of the publication “These Days” to shut-ins. This is a small booklet published quarterly and is filled with daily devotions for living by faith.  Copies are also available in the Narthex and reception area.  If you are a shut-in and would like to receive a copy, please call the church office (781-275-7951). Also, if you currently receive a copy and no longer want to receive it, please let us know.

Declaring your membership at First Church can signify more to you than just fostering deeper friendships, offering your children a valuable church school experience, or helping out with church activities. All of these are important but there is more to it. Becoming a member is an agreement between yourself and the congregation that you are willing to help make the decisions which build its strength for the future. That as a full member of this church family (which decides its long-term objectives and governs its own affairs), you care for this tiny branch of that Body of Christ (about which we hear in Sunday School and worship). This Christian congregation of which you are a part has an historic past, a pro-active present and, most importantly, looks toward a future with shared goals which empower all of us as caring Christians. God IS still speaking! Will you be a helper in the listening and the learning?